Executive Support Officer Apprenticeship

The OEP are excited to advertise a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Business Administration and are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated, and dynamic individual to come and work in our Business Strategy and Planning team. 

This is a permanent position and as part of the role you’ll undertake a Business Administration Apprenticeship at Level 3. This is the academic equivalent of two ‘A’ Levels. We will enrol you onto the apprenticeship shortly after you join, and it will typically take 18 months to complete. On successful completion of the apprenticeship your employment will continue with us. 

The Office for Environmental Protection (the OEP) mission is to protect and recover the environment. Created by the Environment Act 2021, our role is to hold Government and public bodies to account. The OEP do this in several ways including reporting on progress against environmental targets, advising on changes to environmental laws and receiving complaints from the public which can lead to us taking enforcement action. 

As an Executive Support Officer in the Private Office, you will be responsible for supporting the executive directors and senior leadership team, and assisting in the day to day running of the office. 

With a total staff of just over 70, we are a dynamic, friendly and flexible organisation covering both England, Northern Ireland, and environmental matters reserved to the UK government. We offer flexible working arrangements, high profile, dynamic work and the chance to have an impact on improving the state of the environment. 

To find out more about the OEP, what we do, who we are and our current work, visit the OEP website . 

The OEP is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra in England and DAERA in Northern Ireland which means it operates independently from Defra and DAERA is not part of the UK Civil Service. Our employees are public servants. 

Information Webinars:  

We are hosting a webinar during the application period to provide potential candidates with the opportunity to meet the team, to find out more about the role and to ask questions. For more information, please visit the event page: http://oeprecruitment.eventbrite.com 

The Executive Support Officer is a new role in a team at the heart of the OEP.  In this role, you will support our senior leaders, providing seamless support to the executive team and the organisation as a whole. 

The role holder will; 

• Build trusting relationships with our four executive directors, providing administrative support which may include diary management, travel bookings alongside other secretariat support where needed. 
• Aid the organisation of internal and external events, meetings and training session, for example, co-ordinating calendars, sending invites or booking catering. 
• Working with others, undertake office management tasks including sorting and distributing post, ordering stationery and being a point of contact for office or room booking queries. 
• Work with others to support the administration of correspondence, including relating to information requests from the public. 
• Assist with meeting preparation including booking meeting rooms, updating the action log and distributing papers. 
• The role holder will be part of a the OEP’s private office team, so there may be a need for additional ad hoc support for the Chair/Chief Executive and the Board at times. 
• To provide effective support, the role holder will be expected to keep abreast of the new and emerging issues facing the OEP. 

The above list of job duties is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post. 

Essential Criteria;  

• Excellent organisation skills and the ability to manage time effectively and prioritise own workload. 
• Attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy ensuring tasks are completed to a high standard. 
• Good written and verbal communication skills.  
• Ability to work well with others and to develop trusting relationships with people inside and outside the organisation. 
• The ability to multitask and adapt to changing priorities to deliver in an often time sensitive environment. 
• Experience working in or being part of a team. This could be in a voluntary capacity, work experience or previous employment. 

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Working Together

Pension  

The the OEP offers a generous defined benefit, inflation-proof Civil Service Pension which is a valuable part of your total reward package. Upon joining the OEP, staff can opt to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme which, depending on salary, offers a personal contribution rate of between 4.6% and 7.35%, and an employer contribution rate of between 26.6% and 30.3%. There is also the option to join a partnership scheme. Full details and benefits of the options available to you can be found on the Civil Service Pensions Portal. 

Leave and Flexible Working  

The OEP offers 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days over 5 years for all new entrants.    

Additional paid leave is available where necessary to cater for a variety of situations including, but not limited to, family-related leave, volunteering days, exam and study leave, public duties and trade union activities. In addition, we offer a generous enhanced maternity leave, parental leave and shared parental leave policy.  

The OEP is supportive of flexible working and has a flexible working policy to allow for variations in individuals working hours where this is compatible with business need.  

Performance Management and In Year Bonus Scheme  

The OEP is committed to promoting a high-performing culture for all employees.  Performance and development management is key to developing trusting relationships between managers and employees so that they can be their best and thrive at work. Every individual will have a performance management plan which will be reviewed on a regular basis.   

The OEP has a quarterly ‘In-year Bonus Scheme’ where individuals and/ or teams can be recognised for outstanding one-off contributions and achievements. 

Learning and Development  

The OEP is a learning organisation and strongly supports the continuous professional development of all employees through both personal and work related study. The OEP will pay for one relevant profession membership per employee to support continuous professional development.  

Every employee has access to five days learning and development each year to support professional development. This could be through Civil Service Learning mandatory and voluntary learning, corporate inductions, staff events and welcome days as well as relevant professional qualifications and specific courses. 

Staff Wellbeing  

Staff wellbeing is extremely important and the OEP strives to provide access to numerous resources to aid the wellbeing of its employees. Current initiatives include:  

• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing free and confidential 24/7 telephone advice and guidance to support employees with both personal and employment issues. This may include personal wellbeing, career development or legal matters such as landlord / tenant disputes.  
• Access to an Occupational Health Service to provide a range of support service to help with the way you feel at work.  
• Access to trained Mental Health First Aiders and wider Defra Group mental health first aid network and resources. 
• Free access to Headspace, a mindfulness, meditation and sleep app. 
• Access to a Financial Wellbeing Portal. 
• Free eye tests and a contribution to glasses/ lenses if required for VDU use. 

Salary Sacrifice, Discounts and SmartTech Benefits 

All employees have access to the STaR, Reward Gateway an online platform providing access to hundreds of discounts, offers and cashback options with well-known retailers. They offer a SmartTech scheme, a Cash Healthcare plan and numerous other benefits and services. 

Job contact :

• Name : OEP Recruitment Team
• Email : Recruitment@theoep.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@theoep.org.uk